<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Grow Stronger Together by wontonto</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30125415">Grow Stronger Together</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wontonto/pseuds/wontonto'>wontonto</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>KuroBas March Madness [16]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Future Fic, M/M, Mentions of Suicide Attempts, Model Kise Ryouta, Police Officer Aomine Daiki, acab except aomine, i didn't mean for it to get this fucking HEAVY but it did</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:26:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,847</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30125415</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wontonto/pseuds/wontonto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kise had never really thought of his boyfriend’s job as “dangerous.” Sure, he was a cop and in cop shows and stuff, they always got into dangerous situations, but Aomine always assured Kise that it was severely exaggerated. Kise never felt a stab of anxiety when his boyfriend left the small house they shared together. He wasn’t worried that Aomine wouldn’t ever come back to him.</p>
<p>
  <i>Until he was.</i>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aomine Daiki/Kise Ryouta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>KuroBas March Madness [16]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2188413</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Grow Stronger Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>just in case you don't see the tags because of a skin, be aware that this does have mentions of a suicide attempt, kind of in detail but not too much. it's there, just so you know.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As a very sought-after model throughout the world, Kise traveled more than he’d like to. He loved his job, but he missed his boyfriend all the time he was away. And with Aomine’s also kind of wacky schedule, they couldn’t always find time to be together when Kise was home. A lot of times it just consisted of the two of them cuddling in their sleep. </p>
<p>It was fine, and Kise didn’t mind the cuddling, especially since Aomine was always clingy when he was needy. But he just <i>missed</i> him. He missed spending time with his boyfriend, even if they just sat on the couch together, legs tangled as they watched a movie. </p>
<p>He got home after a long shoot one night to find Aomine sprawled out on the couch, a dinner from the convenience store and a couple cans of beer on the coffee table in front of him. He looked comfortable, if not a bit tired. </p>
<p>“Hello, handsome, I’m home,” he called to his boyfriend. </p>
<p>Aomine looked up, blinking and a small smile came on his face. “Hey, welcome home,” he responded, his voice a bit groggy. </p>
<p>“You look tired, did you have a long shift today?” Kise asked, walking over to the couch and pressing a kiss to the top of Aomine’s head. </p>
<p>“Yeah, it was... it was just a long day,” Aomine sighed, slowly looking up and raising his hand to thread his fingers through Kise’s hair. “You home for tonight, then?” </p>
<p>“Yeah, I don’t have another shoot until tomorrow night, so I can be all yours if you want me,” Kise said seductively. He knew that neither of them would really have the energy for anything tonight, but it was always fun to tease his boyfriend. </p>
<p>“You have no idea how much I wish I could take you up on that offer,” Aomine sighed, getting up off the couch and stretching. </p>
<p>Kise admired the handsome man in front of him. Aomine’s biceps stretched the sleeves of his shirt, his arms pulled it up to reveal some of his toned abs, and Kise couldn’t get enough. He reached over the back of the couch to touch Aomine’s stomach and he was quickly denied by Aomine’s hand. </p>
<p>“Where do you think those hands are going, hmm?” Aomine chuckled. He pulled Kise closer as he kneeled on the couch and gently cupped Kise’s face before he pressed their lips together. </p>
<p>Their kiss was slow and full of longing, Kise’s hands finding the back of Aomine’s neck and playing with the short hair there. Aomine’s thumbs ran over Kise’s cheekbones, the two of them relishing in the comfort they found in each other. </p>
<p>“You ready to go to bed?” Aomine asked quietly when they pulled away. He rested his forehead against Kise’s, his eyes blinking sleepily. </p>
<p>“Like in a sexy way or the actual sleep way?” Kise chuckled, though he knew what the answer would be. </p>
<p>“Maybe a little sexy first and then actual sleep,” Aomine said, kissing Kise’s lips one more time. “Though maybe not even a little sexy, cause I'm fucking <i>tired.”</i> </p>
<p>“I think we both are, babe,” Kise yawned, holding Aomine’s hand lightly as they walked to their room. </p>
<p>They stripped down to their underwear and slipped under the covers, wrapping their limbs around each other. Kise hummed happily when he was able to run his fingers over Aomine’s abs and biceps. </p>
<p>“I’ve missed you,” he said quietly. “Sorry I haven’t been around a lot. It really sucks not being around you whenever I want...” </p>
<p>“I know, I've missed you too,” Aomine mumbled, kissing Kise’s temple. “And it’s not just your fault, you know. We both have terrible schedules and it sucks when we can’t be together. But that’s what makes these moments all the more special, right? We never really were the types to dwell on the past, right?” </p>
<p>Kise grinned and nuzzled into Aomine’s chest. “Mmhmm,” he hummed. “I love you a lot, you know.” </p>
<p>“And I love you.” Aomine wrapped his arms tighter around Kise. “So you don’t have a shoot until tomorrow night, right?” </p>
<p>“Yeah, why?” </p>
<p>“I was just trying to figure out if I have anything going tomorrow. Maybe we could go out on a date or something,” Aomine shrugged. “Been a while.” </p>
<p>“Oh my god, yes please! Let’s go out!” </p>
<p>Aomine chuckled and rubbed his hand over Kise’s back. “Alright, then, it’s settled. I’ll let you decide what to do, yeah?” </p>
<p>“Are you sure? The last time you let me do that, you complained the whole time,” Kise rolled his eyes. </p>
<p>“Yes, yes, I'll let you decide, and I won’t complain, promise.” </p>
<p>“You really won’t complain? Even if I say we should go and get mani-pedis?” </p>
<p>“What the fuck are those?” Aomine grunted. </p>
<p>Kise laughed and nuzzled his face into Aomine’s chest. “Maybe we’ll just go and get those, then.” </p>
<p>“No, hey. What are they?” he grunted, gently pinching Kise’s side. “I’m not gonna agree if you don’t tell me what they are.” </p>
<p>“Too late. You just told me you’d let me decide and you wouldn’t complain. You’ll find out tomorrow,” Kise grinned and booped Aomine’s nose. </p>
<p>“Wait a second... I know what those are! Satsuki made me get one once!” Aomine groaned. </p>
<p>“Too bad, you can’t complain.” </p>
<p>“Kise, the guys at the station aren’t going to let me live it down if I show up with painted nails!” </p>
<p>“Then just get a clear coat,” Kise shrugged. “Now, good night, babe.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, g’night,” Aomine sighed, tucking Kise’s head under his chin. </p>
<p>Kise couldn’t wish for anything more. </p>
<p>… </p>
<p>They were both woken up by the loud ringing of Aomine’s work phone, which was never a good sign. </p>
<p>Kise grumbled as Aomine grabbed his phone and quickly answered it. “Aomine,” he said, immediately awake. </p>
<p>Kise was still half-asleep and not happy about being woken up, and less so that it was Aomine’s work phone. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, loosely wrapping his arm around Aomine’s stomach and leaning his cheek against Aomine’s back between his shoulder blades. </p>
<p>“I’ll be right there,” he heard Aomine say, and he internally sighed. </p>
<p>“You’re leaving?” he pouted. </p>
<p>“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” Aomine said, turning and kissing Kise’s temple. “I am on call today, and I mean...” </p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Kise waved his hand after pressing a kiss to Aomine’s shoulder. “Go and be a hero, let me know when you’re done.” </p>
<p>“I love you so much, Ryouta,” Aomine said, kissing Kise’s lips. “And I'm so sorry.” </p>
<p>“It’s okay, really, I know how much this job means to you. Just come back to me in one piece, okay?” </p>
<p>“I always do.” </p>
<p>“M’kay, that’s all that matters, I love you,” Kise grinned sleepily. </p>
<p>Aomine brushed his hand over Kise’s bedhead and smiled fondly. “I’ll see you later.” </p>
<p>Kise waited until Aomine was out of the house before he flopped back down onto their bed and curled up in the blankets. He grabbed Aomine’s pillow which still had a bit of his warmth on it and took in Aomine’s lingering scent. It wasn’t nearly as good as the real thing, but it’d have to do for now. </p>
<p>… </p>
<p>When Kise woke up the second time, Aomine wasn’t home, but he hadn’t expected him to be. He grabbed his phone and prepared to take his morning selfie. He looked sleepily ruffled and he knew that Aomine loved seeing him like that. He leaned back on the pillows and made his thumb and pointer finger into a heart and winked as he snapped the selfie. He put a nice filter on it after deeming it worthy and sent it to his boyfriend. </p>
<p><i>‘Love you, work hard!’</i> </p>
<p>He thought about posting it to Instagram too but decided against it. Only his boyfriend could get cute selfies of him in the morning. Plus he was pretty sure his agent would have his head if he posted a picture without makeup. He had to maintain his model façade after all. </p>
<p>Even though he was just a regular guy. He was just lucky enough to be pretty enough to have a job as a model. A lot of his fans put him on a pedestal and he <i>hated</i> that. That’s why he loved Aomine so much; with a single word, he could bring Kise back to the real world. </p>
<p>Speaking of the real world, <i>his</i> work phone rang. He groaned, long and loud, before answering it. “Good morning, Arima-kun!” he greeted his agent chirpily. </p>
<p>“Kise, you’ve got a shoot today, remember?” he said. </p>
<p>“Yes, I know, but not until later.” </p>
<p>“I scheduled a TV interview today, a couple hours before the shoot.” </p>
<p>“What? Why?” Kise whined. Today was supposed to be an easy day spent with his boyfriend, but apparently the universe was conspiring against them. </p>
<p>“You know you don’t get many opportunities like this, Kise. To get more out there, you should consider this seriously. I want you to succeed as a model, and this might just help you get that leg-up you need.” </p>
<p>“Arima-kun, I’m already plenty successful as a model, I don’t need more publicity! I would like to keep <i>some</i> of my private life, y’know, <i>private,”</i> he rolled his eyes. </p>
<p>“You know that’s not how this industry always works, Kise,” Arima sighed. “I’ll see what I can do and if I can get the questions ahead of time so you can be prepared.” </p>
<p>“Is it live?” He <i>hated</i> doing live interviews. They were so much more pressure than recorded ones. </p>
<p>“... Yeah, it’s live. I <i>know</i> you don’t like doing them, but I’ll do everything I can to make it not as intimidating.” </p>
<p>Kise sighed. “Fine, I trust you, Arima-kun. Do your best for me, and call me when it’s all set up.” </p>
<p>He took a deep breath and figured it was time to start his day. Considering he had an interview, he should probably take a shower and get mentally ready for that. A <i>live</i> interview, ugh. </p>
<p>He sent a quick text to Aomine, letting him know about it. Normally Aomine would watch them if he could; he loved having a famous boyfriend. Kise knew because one time he ran into one of Aomine’s coworkers at the grocery store and the man had stopped him. </p>
<p>“You’re Kise, right?” he’d said, a sly smile on his face. </p>
<p>“Yeah? What’s it to you?” Kise had been on his guard immediately, unsure of what this guy wanted. </p>
<p>“Nothing, I work with Aomine,” he’d answered, shaking his head. “I hope you know how much Aomine talks about you <i>all the time.</i> He brags about having a handsome model boyfriend constantly, just to make the rest of us jealous.” </p>
<p>Kise blinked and bit his lip. On one hand, it was cute that Aomine talked about him so much, but he really shouldn’t be bragging about it, since it wasn’t such a big deal. “Ah, I didn’t know that, actually... I’m sorry,” Kise said softly. </p>
<p>“No, no, it’s fine,” the man waved his hand. “I’m just glad to finally meet you. You really are more handsome in person.” </p>
<p>Kise cocked his head to the side. </p>
<p>“My daughter’s quite a fan of yours, and she’s bought a lot of magazines with you in them,” he laughed. “It wasn’t hard to figure out that you’re Aomine’s Kise.” </p>
<p>Kise smiled at the memory. He hoped that Aomine’s coworkers were all doing well; he should go visit them all at the station sometime. Maybe he could surprise them all by going down today. But then again, he didn’t want to bother Aomine if he was working on something really important. </p>
<p>He sighed and grabbed his phone to look through his social media accounts. He might as well make his usual <i>good morning</i> tweet, just in case. And maybe say something about keeping an eye out later that day, tagging the show he was going on. </p>
<p>He sent a text to Arima asking if he should and immediately got an affirmative reply. </p>
<p><i> ‘Good morning, everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful day today! ヽ( ★ω★)ノ If you like, look forward to a live interview from me on @TVTokyo this afternoon at four pm!’</i> </p>
<p>Moments after he sent out the tweet, the likes and comments rolled in as they always did. Most were saying they looked forward to it and Kise appreciated the interest. He figured he might as well respond to a few comments about what the interview was about and other things. </p>
<p>… </p>
<p>After lurking around on Twitter and Instagram to see any hidden gems from his coworkers for a few hours, Arima sent him a text that a car was coming to get him to take him to the interview. It was nearly two-thirty by that point and Kise knew that it would take at least an hour for them to do his makeup, considering they always wanted him to look flawless on camera. </p>
<p>He threw on some random clothes since he knew they’d have an outfit for him at the studio and it was kind of pointless for him to actually try. He glanced at his messages to see if Aomine had responded or even looked at his message, but apparently he hadn’t. That made him pout, but he had work to do; he couldn’t dwell on it. </p>
<p>As he climbed into the car, he just hoped that Aomine was doing okay and he hadn’t been called in for a super dangerous reason. He believed in his boyfriend and that he’d always come back home, but for some reason he was just on edge. He shook it off, thinking that it was probably because of the live interview. They always made him a little anxious. </p>
<p>He just hoped that Aomine would be able to watch it wherever he was. Even just thinking that Aomine was watching made it seem a little less intimidating. </p>
<p>… </p>
<p>After sitting for hair and makeup for over an hour, he was finally ready to go on camera. He kept checking his phone for any indication that Aomine had seen his text about the interview in hopes that he’d say he was definitely going to watch, but no luck. </p>
<p>Arima had given him the questions the host was going to ask him, so it wasn’t as intimidating as it usually was. </p>
<p>“Kise, I’m so excited to interview you today!” the talk show host, a woman in her mid-thirties, grinned at him. “Your agent told me you get a little nervous with live interviews, so I hope knowing the questions I'm going to ask took some of the pressure off?” </p>
<p>He smiled at her as well. “Yes, thank you so much for providing me with the questions. I really do appreciate it. And there aren’t any questions on the list that you provided me that you’ll ask?” </p>
<p>“I might ask follow-up questions, but they won’t be anything too far-fetched, I promise,” she shook her head. “I know how nerve-wracking that prospect can be, but I’m not that kind of person.” </p>
<p>“Thank you, I appreciate that,” he nodded. He didn’t <i>quite</i> believe her, since he hadn’t done an interview with her personally yet, but she seemed sincere. That alleviated a bit of his anxiety, but he was still nervous since Aomine hadn’t messaged him back yet. </p>
<p>He sat down on the couch across from her and fiddled with his phone again. It wasn’t unusual for Aomine to not message him whenever he was working, but he usually at least read the messages and reacted to them in some way. </p>
<p>“You keep fiddling with your phone, are you expecting a call?” the host asked. </p>
<p>Kise licked his lips. “Um... yeah, well...” </p>
<p>“Completely off the books, sorry,” she raised her hands. “But do you think you’ll get a message when we’re on air? I can’t tell you not to answer it if it’s really important, but...” </p>
<p>He sighed. “I’m honestly not sure, but if I do get a message or a call or something, I’ll try not to answer if it’s not important.” </p>
<p>She waved her hand. “I really don’t mind either way, but if you do, I can’t guarantee that fans won’t ask you about it on social media.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, I know,” Kise laughed lightly. “I get plenty of that already; I’m used to it. I am a celebrity, after all.” </p>
<p>“You’re very mature for your age, aren’t you, Kise?” she asked him. </p>
<p>He blinked, a little surprised. He’d always been considered a little childish in his industry, though he supposed that with the air he put off, that might not have become widely known outside of it. “I like to think that I am, but if you ask anyone else, they’d definitely disagree,” he chuckled. </p>
<p>She laughed with him and then the producer came up to tell them they had five minutes to show time. </p>
<p>“Alright, I’ll be ready,” she nodded. “I’ll see you out there, Kise,” she smiled at him. </p>
<p>Kise grinned and nodded back at her. He figured he should probably put his phone on silent <i>just in case</i> but a part of him was getting anxious. Aomine rarely didn’t respond to him in some way, if even just to read his messages. So he decided to leave his phone on, even if Arima got mad at him later. Aomine was always going to be his top priority over some stupid interview. If something happened to him... </p>
<p>Kise shook his head at the thought. No, Aomine was always careful when he was out on his missions. The worst he’d ever come home with was a slight concussion. And on occasion a few stitches, but it was never anything life-threatening, which Kise was always grateful for. And Aomine had always assured him that he was okay afterwards. </p>
<p>He put his phone in his pocket and took a few deep breaths to prepare himself to go out in front of an audience. He couldn’t do that if he was feeling anxious, and he kept reminding himself that Aomine would let him know whenever he got home. </p>
<p>“You’re up in a minute, Kise,” the producer told him, gently pushing him forward. </p>
<p>“Got it,” he nodded, sending the man a blinding smile. His model persona was fully in place, and he was ready. He was going to give this interview his all and dispel all unnecessary thoughts. </p>
<p>As soon as he was revealed, cheers and screams came from the live audience and as he waved and blew kisses to them, they only increased. He chuckled and hugged the host as usual, before sitting down on the couch like they’d prepared beforehand. </p>
<p>Once the cheers died down, Kise finally relaxed a little bit. He was in his element; he knew what to do. He knew how to make people like him. And he just hoped that the host wouldn’t go too off-book and only ask the questions they’d discussed. </p>
<p>“So, Kise,” she started, a grin on her face. “You’re the upcoming new hot model in the world, right?” </p>
<p>“Eh, I wouldn’t say I’m new, you know,” he shrugged. “I’ve been modeling for a long time, I just am taking bigger gigs and getting more recognition for them now.” </p>
<p>“How long have you been modeling for, exactly?” </p>
<p>“That would definitely out myself as to how old I am, and that is an industry secret,” Kise winked, playfully putting his finger to his lips. </p>
<p>“Oh? You don’t look a day over twenty-two,” the host said. </p>
<p>“That is very flattering,” Kise laughed. “Let’s just suffice it to say that I’ve been modeling for a long while and I know what I’m doing is good work.” </p>
<p>“Fair enough. Now, I'm sure everyone’s dying to know, though, Kise, what’s your personal life like?” </p>
<p>Kise smiled at the question. It was within the boundaries they’d discussed, so of course he didn’t have any problems answering it. “Well, I live a pretty normal life, actually, when I’m not traveling for my modeling career. Though sometimes I wish it was more normal, because traveling is exhausting.” </p>
<p>He was trying to lead her away from any more questions about his personal life, but she wasn’t having it. </p>
<p>“What do you mean by ‘normal life?’ Isn’t that kind of hard to have as a celebrity?” </p>
<p>He sighed internally. He really didn’t want to disclose any information about Aomine without his permission. They’d kept their relationship private for the near seven years that Kise had been in the spotlight and could continue on. </p>
<p>“Well, I get up every morning, make breakfast, work out, go to work, I mean...” he shrugged. “I have a life just like everyone else.” </p>
<p>“Does that mean you have a partner?” the host raised an eyebrow. </p>
<p>“I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of a partner,” Kise shrugged. He’d been expecting better from her, but he’d been on his guard when she wouldn’t drop questions about his personal life. He’d had this question way too many times to count, and he always gave the same answer. </p>
<p>He didn’t know why journalists and TV show hosts always thought they could get a different answer out of him. </p>
<p>“Oh, come on, Kise, the people want to know!” the host looked out at the audience, who cheered. </p>
<p>He knew that many people thought they deserved the right to know everything about him, but he was so sick of this treatment. </p>
<p>“Yes, well, sorry to disappoint,” he shrugged. “I like to keep my personal life private and my family safe. I will, however, answer any other questions about my work.” </p>
<p>Before the host could say anything else, Kise’s phone rang. </p>
<p>“Ah, could that be the phone call you were expecting?” she smirked at him. </p>
<p>Kise whipped out his phone and he could feel the blood drain out of his face when he saw who was calling. “I... I’m sorry, but I <i>have</i> to take this, I can’t... I’m sorry,” he flew off the stage without a second thought and ran backstage. </p>
<p>“Kise, what –?” Arima’s eyebrows furrowed when Kise ran up to him. </p>
<p>“Hello, Chief?!” Kise answered his phone, nervously chewing on his fingernails. “Arima, get the car, please,” he whispered to his agent. </p>
<p>Arima had never seen Kise this frantic and nodded, already out the door in a few seconds. </p>
<p>“Kise, I have...” the man on the other end cleared his throat. “I have some bad news...” </p>
<p>“What... what happened? Did...” Kise looked around, becoming more aware of his surroundings and realizing that he couldn’t just blurt out Aomine’s name, lest rumors start. </p>
<p>“Aomine’s in the hospital.” </p>
<p>Kise’s heart almost stopped, and for the first time, it fully sank in how dangerous his boyfriend’s job really was. “I... Tell me which one and I’m on my way,” he said, already heading out to the car where Arima was waiting. </p>
<p>The entire time, he could feel himself becoming cold. Aomine had always come back home to him. He’d been a full-fledged cop for nearly three years now, and the fact that Kise had never had this sense of anxiety until now made him realize how lucky he was. He would never make Aomine stop being a cop, since he knew how much it meant to him, but... </p>
<p>“We’re here, Kise,” Arima said, turning back to look at his client. “I’ll cancel your photo shoot, don’t worry.” </p>
<p>Kise had already made his way into the hospital, not thinking about his photo shoot later at all; everything was focused on finding Aomine and where he was and if he was okay. </p>
<p>“I need to know where my boyfriend is,” Kise said to the older receptionist, panting as he got up to the desk. </p>
<p>Her eyes widened slightly as she must have recognized him, but otherwise she didn’t say anything. “Your boyfriend?” she sniffed.  </p>
<p>“Yes, his name’s Aomine Daiki. I just... his boss told me he was here, but he didn’t... I need to know that he’s okay.” </p>
<p>“Can you provide any proof that you’re family? Patients aren’t allowed to see visitors unless they’re family.” </p>
<p>“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Kise growled under his breath. “No, I can't, but... Ma’am, you know who I am, right? Please just...” Kise licked his lips, feeling the depths of despair threaten to swallow him. “I need to see him, I need to make sure that he’s okay, I’m...” </p>
<p>The woman’s lips pursed and Kise had a feeling that she was being a bigot and wouldn’t allow him anywhere near his boyfriend. He didn’t want to believe that a hospital worker would be so old-fashioned, but... </p>
<p>“I’m sorry, sir, but unless you are family, I cannot tell you,” she sniffed. </p>
<p>Yep, she was definitely a homophobe. “Fine,” he bit his lip, trying to hold back his tears. </p>
<p>He tromped away into the waiting lobby and called the one person he trusted with this, though he wasn’t sure if she’d already been notified by Aomine’s boss as well. </p>
<p>… </p>
<p>“Ki-chan!” Momoi came rushing through the doors and immediately embraced him as soon as he stood up. “I’m so sorry! I came as soon as I could.” </p>
<p>“It’s fine, Momocchi,” he said, nearly crushing her in a hug. “As long as you’re here, I think...” He wasn’t entirely sure what she could do to rectify the situation he’d found himself in, but a part of him really hoped that she could do something. </p>
<p>“I’ve already got a plan, so don’t worry, okay?” she pulled back and put her hands on his cheeks. “Just follow my lead.” </p>
<p>“Okay,” he sniffled and swiped at his eyes. “I just... he <i>has</i> to be okay...” </p>
<p>“I know,” she nodded, holding his hand. “C’mon, let’s go.” </p>
<p>She pulled Kise back to the reception desk, and the old hag was still there, typing away at her computer. </p>
<p>“Excuse me, I’m here to see someone? My brother,” Momoi said, getting the attention of the lady. </p>
<p>“Oh, of course, what’s his name?” she asked, ready to type the information into her computer. </p>
<p>“Aomine Daiki,” Momoi said. “This is my boyfriend, and he’s my brother’s best friend.” </p>
<p>Kise’s heart clenched at being called Aomine’s “best friend,” but if that’s what it took to get in to see him, then so be it. </p>
<p>“Ah, I see,” the receptionist nodded, seeming to not care. Kise wanted to shout at her that she was being blatantly bigoted and that he could report her, but Momoi squeezed his hand. </p>
<p>When he looked over at her, she shook her head almost imperceptibly as if to tell him not to do something stupid. He sighed and squeezed her hand back as a signal of understanding, though he didn’t like it. </p>
<p>“Ah, yes, he’s currently in critical condition, so I must ask that there only be one visitor, and the one who is closest to him go in,” the receptionist nodded. </p>
<p>“Okay, thank you, which room?” Momoi asked. </p>
<p>“Room 267, on the second floor.” </p>
<p>“Thank you,” Momoi nodded, pushing Kise towards the stairs. “Go see him, Ki-chan,” she told him within earshot of the receptionist. “She did say the one closest to him, anyway.” </p>
<p>“Thank you, Momocchi,” Kise said, his eyes welling up once again. </p>
<p>He sprinted up the stairs two at a time and as soon as he was on the second floor, he frantically looked around for room number 267. Amazingly a nurse was exiting the room just as he got up to it, and the woman looked up from the clipboard in her hand. </p>
<p>"Kise!” she exclaimed, her green eyes blinking. </p>
<p>“Seri-chan?!” Kise drew back, recognizing that green hair anywhere. “Or... I guess, Nurse Midorima?” </p>
<p>“Seri’s fine, you know,” she chuckled. “I’m a little surprised to see you here, though... I suppose I shouldn’t be. He was babbling your name before we took him into surgery.” </p>
<p>“How is he? I...” </p>
<p>“I think you should go in and see for yourself,” she patted his shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll be glad to have you there, but he is sleeping so... just be aware of that.” </p>
<p>“Okay, thank you so much, Seri-chan,” he said, taking a deep breath before opening the door. </p>
<p>The room was dim, except for light trying to come in through the closed curtains. Kise let his eyes adjust before walking in and setting a chair next to the bed that Aomine was laying in. He looked at his boyfriend, helpless, and wondered what had happened. The Chief hadn’t given him any details, and Kise wasn’t sure that he’d want to know them, honestly. </p>
<p>The machines beeped around them, but they were steady, so Kise assumed that was a good thing. He brushed Aomine’s bangs back off his forehead, making sure to avoid any tubes and bandages, noting that his arm was in a sling. He bent down to kiss that forehead and smiled softly. “Why’d you have to go and get yourself injured, you moron?” he whispered. </p>
<p>He sat down in the chair and took a hold of one of Aomine’s hands, admiring how big it was. These hands never did anything wrong; they always tried to protect people. Sure, there was that one time when Aomine had punched Haizaki in high school, but that was way in the past and Aomine hadn’t done anything like that since. </p>
<p>Kise had seen these hands wipe the tears of a lost child when they were out on a date. He’d insisted on helping the kid, even though Kise was a little bit worried about paparazzi finding them and seeing them together. When Aomine set his mind to something, though, he pulls through without a doubt. </p>
<p>That’s one thing Kise really loved about Aomine; he was always so sure of himself and he always made sure that other people knew how amazing he was. </p>
<p>“You know, Aominecchi, you’re...” Kise said quietly, trying not to get choked up. “You’re amazing and I’ve never doubted it. But... you’re kind of a moron, too, you know? I mean...” he laughed slightly, squeezing Aomine’s hand. “I don’t doubt that you were protecting someone when this happened to you, but... what about me?” Kise bit his lip, realizing how selfish he sounded. He probably needed to let this out while Aomine was passed out though. </p>
<p>“What am I supposed to do if I lose you, huh? I know that the doctors and Seri-chan are taking care of you as best they can, and I really appreciate that, but... I can’t...” he sniffed, bringing Aomine’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. “I can’t imagine life without you, Daiki. So you’d better pull through, okay? And... maybe after you do, I’ll talk to Arima and we can... maybe we’ll go public, Daiki.” </p>
<p>The thought made his heart go crazy, and he wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad feeling. He’d been so concerned with Aomine getting mobbed by his fans that he didn’t want to risk anything, but... </p>
<p>He took out his phone and looked on twitter to see that he was actually trending. Many of his fans had theories over what had happened, and a lot of them were completely wrong. He scrolled through the tweets, wondering if anyone suspected he had a boyfriend or anything. Apparently some of them thought it was a publicity stunt, which made him chuckle. If only it was. </p>
<p>He opened up a new tweet and bit his lip, unsure of what to say. He didn’t really want to give them any fodder for rumors, but... pretty much anything he said could so easily be turned into something it wasn’t. So he decided to just say something a bit vague before talking over going public with Aomine. </p>
<p><i>'Hey everyone, just wanted to let you all know that I’m... not great. Someone very important to me is in the hospital, unconscious and in critical condition, so I’m taking a little break from social media for a bit. I love all of you and don’t forget to take care of yourselves!'</i> </p>
<p>He usually used kaomojis in his tweets, but this was very important and he wasn’t going to. He knew that his fans would notice something off about him, and he hoped that none of them would pry. But knowing his fanbase, they probably would. </p>
<p>He sighed, muting his phone and looking at his boyfriend. Aomine was such a strong person that it was so strange to see him like this, just... laying on bed with so many instruments coming out of his body that Kise had no idea what they were doing to him. </p>
<p>He held Aomine’s hand with both of his, rubbing his thumb over the back of his knuckles, trying to comfort himself. He loved when Aomine did this to him, and he hoped that even in his comatose state, Aomine felt the love in his gesture. </p>
<p>… </p>
<p>Kise wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, but he woke up when someone shook his shoulder. “Rise and shine, Kise,” a familiar voice came from behind him. </p>
<p>He grumbled in discontent, not wanting to be risen from his slumber. </p>
<p>“Come on, Kise, you were here way past visiting hours, and you could’ve accidentally killed Aomine.” </p>
<p>At that, Kise’s eyes flew open, but he didn’t move. <i>“What?!”</i> </p>
<p>“Of course that would be what gets you awake,” Seri giggled. “I’m kidding. If anything, I bet you being here made him happy.” </p>
<p>“Can I move?” Kise asked, raising an eyebrow. </p>
<p>“Yes, you can, you dork,” Seri rolled her eyes. “Just make sure not to bump anything, though I think you were very careful about that when you were asleep even.” </p>
<p>Kise slowly sat up, realizing that he was still holding Aomine’s hand. He looked at the clock and cocked his head to the side. “What are you still doing here, Seri-chan? Shouldn’t you be going home or something?” </p>
<p>“Very funny, Kise. Some of us work 12-hour shifts, you know. Though I’m not sure if you do, considering you don’t have a brain.” </p>
<p>“Seri-chan, you’re being even meaner than your brother,” Kise pouted at her. “How... how is Aominecchi doing, though? I mean...” </p>
<p>“He’s stable, so that’s a good sign. The doctors are talking about moving him today, but if he doesn’t wake up then that might change.” </p>
<p>“Is he supposed to wake up today?” Kise bit his lip. </p>
<p>“Well, as far as I know, yes. I’m still not sure about the details of his surgery and the extent of his injuries, but... I’m not sure if you want to know, do you?” </p>
<p>“Ah, not really, no,” Kise rubbed the back of his neck. “I just want to know that he’s okay... And that he’ll continue to be okay.” </p>
<p>“He’s doing okay for now, Kise, no need to worry,” Seri patted him on the back. “I saw Momoi in the lobby, should I go tell her that you’re okay too?” </p>
<p>“Momocchi’s still here? I would’ve thought she’d go home...” </p>
<p>“Well, Kuroko and my brother are there as well, the last time I saw them.” </p>
<p>“Really?” Kise’s heart warmed that their old friends were so concerned about Aomine. </p>
<p>“Shin even said that Akashi was coming as well.” </p>
<p>“Even Akashicchi?!” Kise’s eyes widened. “I wouldn’t have thought that... they’d all come so far.” </p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure they all saw your tweet, Kise. Who wouldn’t be concerned after <i>you</i> said something like that?” </p>
<p>“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” </p>
<p>Before Seri could answer, Kise felt a squeeze on his hand and his head whipped around to look at Aomine. His eyes had opened slightly, revealing the beautiful midnight blue that Kise loved to see. He could feel his own eyes welling up and he squeezed back, gently kissing the back of Aomine’s hand. </p>
<p>“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” he said softly, gently moving to brush his thumb over Aomine’s cheek. “How are you feeling?” </p>
<p>“Mmm, like shit, honestly,” Aomine grunted. </p>
<p>Seri was quickly out of the room, probably going to find a doctor and tell them that Aomine was awake. </p>
<p>“I mean, you’re in the hospital, babe, and you apparently had an operation and you were injured and...” </p>
<p>“Oh yeah,” Aomine snorted. “But... why are you here? I thought Satsuki was my emergency contact.” </p>
<p>Kise blinked and glared at his boyfriend. “You would really rather have Momocchi be the first person you see when you wake up over your own boyfriend?” </p>
<p>“Don’t be like that. Of course I'd rather it’s you, and I'm really glad it is, but... didn’t you have a photo shoot? Did you get to it?” </p>
<p>Kise drew his hand back and held his arms out in a questioning gesture. <i>“Unbelievable.</i> My own boyfriend thinks I won’t drop anything and everything for him when I get a call about him being in the hospital? Do you really think I value work over you? Am I that fucking shallow to you?” </p>
<p>“Well, no, but I just... I didn’t want you to worry about me, you know? I knew that something like this was going to happen eventually in my line of work, and you were always so concerned when I came home with a tiny bruise or scrape. I couldn’t imagine what would happen when this happened. But... I guess the Chief called you anyway, huh?” </p>
<p>“You’re a moron, you know that?” Kise huffed. “Of course I’m going to worry about my boyfriend. And especially now...” he bit his lip. </p>
<p>A doctor came into the room, dissipating the tension between the two of them. </p>
<p>“Sorry, I’ll go out to the lobby,” Kise shook his head, leaving the room. </p>
<p>As the elevator took him down to the waiting area, he realized he hadn’t checked twitter since his last vague tweet. He hadn’t even looked at Arima’s response to his message. </p>
<p><i><b>Arima:</b> Take care of yourself, Kise, and let me know whenever you’re ready to come back to work. But no rush, I know how much Aomine means to you.</i> </p>
<p>Kise smiled at the kind words and thanked his lucky stars for an agent like Arima. He was truly blessed to have such a supportive work life and personal life. </p>
<p>When he got to the lobby, Momoi was curled up on a chair with Kuroko’s jacket draped over her and her head in his lap. Midorima sat in the chair next to Kuroko, tapping nervously on the armrest. Akashi apparently hadn’t shown up yet, which Kise was a little grateful for. </p>
<p>“Kise,” Midorima greeted him, seeing him walk up. </p>
<p>“Ki-chan?!” Momoi bolted up, Kuroko’s jacket falling off of her. </p>
<p>“Hey,” Kise smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Um... thanks for coming, Kurokocchi, Midorimacchi.” </p>
<p>“Aomine’s one of our best friends, of course we’d come,” Kuroko said. “How is he doing?” </p>
<p>“He’s awake, at least. I got to talk with him a little bit,” Kise shrugged. “I’m not sure what happened nor what kind of operation they had to do, and honestly... I don’t really want to... I just...” </p>
<p>“Hey, guys,” Seri said, coming up behind Kise, interrupting him. </p>
<p>“Seri-chan!” Momoi blinked, hugging the other young woman. “I didn’t know you worked here!” </p>
<p>“Yep, been working here for a while,” she smiled, embracing Momoi back. “But enough about me, let’s catch up. How have you been? You too, Kuroko!” </p>
<p>She made them all sit in a small circle, and Kise couldn’t help but wonder if this was some kind of training that she’d had to go through to keep people calm when their loved ones were in the hospital or something. He wasn’t sure how well it was working, because all he could think about was Aomine and what the doctor might be saying to him. </p>
<p>As soon as he thought about that, the doctor he’d seen go into Aomine’s room came out to the lobby with a clipboard in his hands. </p>
<p>He shot out of his seat and the doctor seemed to recognize him as well, making his way over to their little group. </p>
<p>“I assume you’re all here for Aomine?” the doctor said. </p>
<p>“What’s the news?” Kise bit his lip. He wasn’t sure he really wanted to know, but at least Aomine was awake. </p>
<p>The doctor started saying a bunch of medical jargon that Kise didn’t understand and looked over to Midorima to translate whatever the hell he was saying. </p>
<p>Midorima sighed. “Aomine will be under strict surveillance for a few days, but once that’s over, he’ll be in the clear.” </p>
<p>“Oh, good,” Kise sighed in relief. “It’s nothing too serious, is it?” </p>
<p>“He’s out of the woods for now,” the doctor smiled. “He’s a strong man, and he’s very lucky that he didn’t get injured even worse in the accident.” </p>
<p>“Can I go see him again?” Kise wondered. </p>
<p>“We’re in the process of moving him to a different room, but yes. He’s going to the fifth floor, room 512. And if you like, you can all go see him, I’m sure he’d love the company.” </p>
<p>They all piled into the elevator and made their way to Aomine’s room, though Kise was a little bitter that everyone was going. He hadn’t really gotten to the core of the issue with Aomine, and he didn’t want to get into it with their friends right there. He supposed afterwards they could. But a part of him wasn’t sure if Aomine would want to get into it, if he was in pain. </p>
<p>Momoi led them down the hallway to the room where Aomine was, finding it easily enough. She knocked on the door and a nurse opened the door. “Oh, you must be Aomine’s friends,” she smiled. “He’s awake and ready for visitors, so come on in.” </p>
<p>They all piled into the room, Kise at the back considering the conversation he’d been trying to have with Aomine before. He didn’t want to get into a fight or something while their friends were right there. </p>
<p>“Dai-chan!” Momoi cried, practically flying at the bed. She threw her arms around Aomine’s neck. “Are you okay? What happened? When the hospital called me, I couldn’t... They wouldn’t tell me and I... I was so scared, Dai-chan.” </p>
<p>“Geez, Satsuki, you’re so dramatic,” he sighed, gently hugging her back. “I’m fine, nothing too bad happened, I promise.” </p>
<p>“You were in surgery for nearly two hours, Aomine, I would say that’s pretty serious,” Midorima pushed his glasses up. </p>
<p>“Yeah, well... I feel fine, okay? No need to worry about me and what happened. I don’t... really want to talk about it, either, it was kind of a stupid mistake on my part...” </p>
<p>“Fine, but you really are okay, right? You’re not just saying that because we’re your friends and don’t want us to worry about you?” Momoi narrowed her eyes. </p>
<p>Aomine took a breath and pursed his lips, something that Kise knew he did when he was hiding something. He really was about to just smack his boyfriend for being so stupid. </p>
<p>“Really, it’s fine, and I don’t want you to worry about me, but I promise I’m fine. So just... go back about your business and I’ll let you know when I’m out of the hospital, okay?” he rolled his eyes. </p>
<p>“Fine, be that way, Dai-chan,” Momoi huffed. She leaned down and whispered something in his ear and his eyes narrowed. </p>
<p>“I know, Satsuki, I’m not <i>stupid,”</i> he grumbled. </p>
<p>“I beg to differ, but I’m going to leave now, because I do want to get some actual sleep instead of trying to sleep on an extremely uncomfortable hospital waiting room chair. See you later, Dai-chan.” </p>
<p>Kuroko left with her, and Midorima followed them, patting Kise on the shoulder as he left. </p>
<p>When the two of them were alone again, Kise sighed and sat down on the bed, running his hand through Aomine’s hair. </p>
<p>“You don’t want to talk about it, huh?” Kise muttered. </p>
<p>“Not really, no,” Aomine shrugged, looking away. </p>
<p>“Well good, because I don’t want to hear about it,” Kise pouted, laying down and putting his head against Aomine’s shoulder. “But... can you tell me why you thought that having the Chief call me, instead of the hospital, was a good idea?” </p>
<p>Aomine took a deep breath, letting out a quiet hiss of pain. “Look, Kise, I just... I love you so much and I knew that you’d worry and I didn’t want to put you through this.” </p>
<p>“Well, whether or not you wanted to, here we are,” Kise deadpanned. “I don’t understand, and you don’t have to tell me, but... What if something worse had happened and I had to find out from the Chief that you...” </p>
<p>“Hey,” Aomine said softly, running his fingers through Kise’s hair like Kise had done to him moments before. “It didn’t, though, right? I’m right here.” </p>
<p>“But what if, Daiki? What if I lost you? I can’t...” Kise bit his lip, trying to hold back his tears. “I don’t want to imagine life without you. I know how much you love helping people, so I'm not going to tell you that you need to stop being a cop or anything, I just...” </p>
<p>Aomine sighed. “It was a suicide attempt,” he said quietly. </p>
<p>“What?” </p>
<p>“The call we got was from a concerned mom who saw the signs of depression in her son and she called us because she was very concerned that he’d do something and sure enough. The kid was... He was going to jump, Kise. He was on the top of their apartment building and we had some other guys yelling up at him trying to convince him to not, and me and a few others went up to the roof to try to talk him down. Kise, he was in <i>middle school.</i> You know how I was in middle school. I kinda saw a lot of myself in the kid, and...” He took a shuddering breath and Kise wrapped his leg around Aomine’s waist in an attempt to ground and comfort him. </p>
<p>“I just... I got too caught up in the moment and when he jumped I just... I moved on instinct and went to catch him. It was like everything was slow motion, and I caught a balcony railing and I just remember tossing the kid onto the balcony before I fell even more cause I could <i>feel</i> my shoulder dislocate and my hand just slipped, and then I don’t... I don’t remember anything else... Except waking up and you being here...” </p>
<p>“Oh, Daiki...” Kise said softly, looking up at his boyfriend. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry that you had to go through that and I'm sorry that...” </p>
<p>“I’ve only been that close to death <i>once</i> Kise, and that was...” he bit his lip. </p>
<p>“You don’t have to tell me, Daiki. I’m here for you no matter what, okay? And anything that you do tell me isn’t going to make me change my mind about you. I love you so much.” </p>
<p>Aomine pulled Kise closer with his uninjured arm and nuzzled his hair. “Sorry for making you worry so much, I just...” </p>
<p>“Shh, it’s okay. Just being here with you is enough for now, okay? And I’m glad that you weren’t hurt worse.” </p>
<p>“Thanks, Ryouta, I love you so much.” </p>
<p>The two of them fell asleep in each other’s arms and Kise promised himself that he’d never take this for granted ever again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <strike>i didn't even write the part that sparked the idea for this fucking fic also i didn't really look over it before posting it so don't mind inconsistencies or whatever else there is in here</strike>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>